G672 Sociology Revision - The Family

The Family ­ G672Key Concepts of the FamilyGeorge Peter Murdock's definition of the family is that it only includes membersof the nuclear family; this includes two generations of parents and theiroffspring.Not all societies have nuclear families... 1) Kathleen Gough (1959) found that wives in southern India did not live with the man they married, and instead, had several visiting husbands. 2) Murdock ignores the importance of the extended family: the extended family also includes relations by blood or marriage from other generations (for example grandparents) 3) Some families do not include two adults, (lone parent families). Yanina Sheeran (1993) believes that the female carer-core, which consists of a mother and her children, is the basic family unit. She argues that the family unit is universal; HOWEVER, a problem with this definition is the existence of male households where a single FATHER raises the children. 4) Some families do not have adults of the same sexes (GAY FAMILIES) ­ these types of families do not conform to Murdock's definition because they do not contain adults of both sexes, and in some cases the relationship may not be APPROVED of throughout society. They may contain children from previous relationships, adoption or even through new reproductive technologies. Sydney Callahan (1997) believes that gay or lesbian households should be regarded as families. CONCLUSION: Murdock's view of the universal nuclear family is not particularly reflected in Britain today. Sociologists Allan and Crow (2001) argue that is now much harder to define `the family' today because there is such a wide variety of a family type. The Ideology of the Nuclear Family Ideology ­ a set of distorted beliefs which often serves the interests of one group at the expense of others. Some sociologists believe that the nuclear family is the normal or best type of family, which is a type of ideology. Diana Gittins (1993) ­ she argues that there is no single family type which is found in all societies. It is not possible to produce a definition of the family which fits all societies. Opposing ideological viewpoints on nuclear families in Britain can be identified: New Right thinkers tend to support narrow definitions which see nuclear families based around married couples as the only true family type. Many supporters such as Patricia Morgan (1993) see the family as under

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The cereal Packet Image of The FamilyAccording to Ann Oakley (1982) marketing and advertisingoften tries to sell products to what it sees as a TYPICALfamily. Oakley believes that the image of the typical familypresented (advertising for breakfast cereals) portraysthe conventional family as `nuclear families composed oflegally married couples and voluntarily choosing theparenthood or one of more (but not too many) children'.Edmund Leach (1967) calls this the cereal packet image of the family.…read more

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Extended families These types of families include kin in addition to the members of the nuclear family, for example a third generation of grandparents as well as parents and children. The ideology of the nuclear family suggests that in Britain today extended families are no longer very important.…read more

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Although some kin may live some distant apart, the rising of living standards, carownership and technological developments make it much easier to keep incontact with one another. McGlone found that contacts remained frequent, withthe working class, having more contact with kin than the middle class.Family structures in contemporary society:A variety of structures have been used to characterize family structures incontemporary Britain- Peter Willmott sees the dispersed extended family as typical.…read more

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Greater employment opportunities for women make it easier for them toafford to live alone.Trends within the family size..As well as the fall in average household size there has been a fall in familysize. Family size relies on the birth and fertility rate.The Birth Rate there has been a long term decline in the number of births in the UK. In 2008 there were 790 000 births in the uk compared to in 1901 when there was 1, 093, 000.…read more

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A decline in birth and fertility rates means that women are delaying theirchildbearing. Women who delay the birth of their first child until they are too oldmay not remain fertile long enough to have large numbers of children.Falling infant mortality rates are due to rising living standards, improved hygieneand sanitation, improvements in healthcare, and improved monitoring of childwelfare.…read more

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Trends in divorce, marital breakdown and remarriageDivorce ­ legal ending of a marriageSeparation ­ physical separation of spouses so that they live apart`Empty-shell' marriages ­ husbands and wives who continue to live together andremain legally married but the relationship has broken downTrends in Divorce The divorce rate has risen dramatically Divorce has become more likely for women of recent generations of those of older generations The mean average age of divorce for men was 43 and for women 41.…read more

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Functionalist theories of the family Functionalists see society as an interrelated whole. To functionalists every institution in society performs one or more important functions of jobs and they assume this helps society run smoothly. George Peter Murdock believes that the family is an institution vital to the well being of all societies, he believes there are multiple functions of the family: 1) Sexual function ­ the family prevents disruption to society by limiting sexuality to monogamous relationships.…read more

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Although, the nuclear family was more necessary because: 1) Industry required a geographically mobile workforce which could move to where new families were build, this was harder for extended families. 2) Socially mobile workforce was also necessary. In extended families there was conflict between young and older males who had more status. This was avoided in the nuclear family.Talcott Parsons ­ the changing functions of the familyParsons argues that as society changes, the family loses some of its functions.…read more

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Macro ­ look at how the basic needs of society as whole are metStructural ­ examines how the main institutions of society fit together and meetbasic needsConsensus ­ achieved through shared values and norms produced throughsocialization.Marxists Theories of the family according to Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, power in society comes from wealth people who owned the means of production (such as land and labour power) are able to exploit the subject class by forming a powerful ruling class.…read more